3060 THE JOINTED ANIMALS 



of the proboscis would perform a somewhat similar function to that of the tongue 

 in a penny trumpet, the reed in certain wind instruments, or the orifice in a whistle 

 pipe. The handsome larva (green, with large, pale yellow, swollen anterior seg- 

 ments, and yellow, black-speckled oblique stripes across the sides), with its spinous 

 tail, may be sometimes discovered on the jasmine and in potato fields. Not unfre- 

 quently, the large pupa tumbles from its friable earthen case, when the potato crop 

 is dug. The moth flies strongly at night, feasting usually upon the sap oozing 

 from the trees. It does not, however, hesitate to rob the hive of the honeybee, 

 and apparently without molestation. 



To the typical genus of the second subfamily Smerinthince belong several well- 

 known British species, among which the eyed hawk moth {Smerinthus ocellatus) is 

 figured on p. 3055 as an example. This moth is characterized by its angular, 

 slightly-scalloped fore-wings and rose-colored hind-wings, each bearing an eye-like 

 black spot, ringed with blue, near the inner angle. The larva is delicate green, its 

 skin rough with minute warty points, with a series of oblique white stripes across 

 the segments at the sides, and a short, sharp tail. It feeds on the willow and other 

 trees, assimilating well in color with the leaves and their oblique veins; while the 

 moth, hanging with half-closed wings, closely resembles a half-detached withered 

 leaf. The insect is found throughout Europe and Northern Asia. One of the 

 largest and most beautiful of the tribe is the oleander hawk moth (S. nerif). In 

 this species the fore- wings are rich green, veined with white, having toward their 

 base a triple, transverse rose-colored bar, whose posterior arm runs along the hind 

 margin of the wing to the thorax. The hind- wings, thorax, and abdomen are 

 green. The larva is green, with a pale band and numerous white speckles on the 

 sides. The first three segments are suffused with yellow, and the third bears a 

 large bilobate blue spot, outlined with black, on either side. The moth occurs 

 throughout Europe, Africa, and Southern Asia; but neither larva nor perfect insect 

 are often taken in England. The caterpillar feeds on the oleander and periwinkle 

 in summer. Another beautiful, though small species, is the elephant hawk moth 

 ( Chcerocampa elpenor) , which typifies a third subfamily (Chcerocampince). In this 

 species the front wings are green, margined and veined with delicate rose color; the 

 hind-wings black, with rose-colored borders; the thorax and abdomen of the same 

 tint of green, with a central rose-colored band along the back, another at the sides: 

 while the last two segments of the abdomen are. rose colored. The larva is black, 

 with three eye-like spots at the sides of segments three, four, and five, which are 

 much enlarged, having also a rose-colored band along the sides. It feeds on 

 fuchsia, bed straw, willow herb, etc. , and is common in Europe and Northern and 

 Western Asia in June. To the same subfamily belongs the members of the genus 

 Deilephila, which have a world-wide distribution, although specially common in 

 Southern Europe; among these, one of the commonest on the Continent being the 

 spurge hawk moth (D. euphorbice). Although the adult is rare in England, the 

 caterpillar has been observed in some numbers in Devonshire, feeding on the sea 

 .spurge. The fore-wings are gray and rose color in blended tints, with a large dull 

 green spot at their base, and an oblique submarginal band of the same color, besides 

 two smaller crescent-shaped spots toward the tip; the hind-wings delicate rose, with 



